“Iron sharpens iron, don’t let a dull blade benefit from your sharpness.”

The hardest part of growth is finding new edges by which to increase your blade. As you cut through the forest to differentiate yourself from the crowd of average. The tough part of your journey is to find worthy rivals to forge your skill set against.

To be the elite among the average is a dangerous dilemma for a budding warrior. For you will improperly judge your abilities against the mundane as opposed to those at the top end of your competitive field. There is nothing to be gained from running through the mediocre talent of your respective field.

It is a matter of survival that you search for legitimate competition. A champion is not judged by his record but by the rivals of his era. You are robbing yourself of growth by keeping yourself in the circle of average. Find those who have the ability to defeat you. That way you can truly shore up whatever weakness you may possess.

If you never expose yourself to a challenge. Nature will find a way to expose you in the most unfortunate time when you are least prepared.

Understand, in life, you don’t get to hide from obstacles and challenges. The only choice you have is whether you will actively seek challenges.

And as counter-institutive, as it sounds. The more challenges you seek, the fewer unexpected roadblocks come your way in life. And the easier it becomes to handle emergencies.

So go seek those who are better than you. Humble yourself and accept the grind of being tested.
There is no better way to grow and better the environment.